PREGAME BY THE NUMBERS: Bruins host Blackhawks at 1PM

The Boston Bruins carry a two-game losing streak into this afternoon's game against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Puck drop is 1:00 p.m. EDT on Saturday, October 31, with the Bruins at home. It's game 1 of a two-game homestand.

Bruins try to snap a skid against a team still hunting its first road win

Boston sits first in the Atlantic Division and second in the Eastern Conference at 9-4-1, but the last week has been rough. Back-to-back losses at Carolina and St. Louis erased the good feeling from a pair of wins over San Jose and Nashville.

Chicago is 4-9-0 and 15th in the West, seven points behind the last qualifying team. The Blackhawks are 0-5-0 on the road this season, and this is game 2 of a two-game road trip after Thursday's loss in Detroit.

Both teams had one day of rest, so there's no schedule edge here. The gap is in the standings and in how each has handled October.

Boston's goal differential is +18, while Chicago has been outscored by 21. Chicago has scored 27 goals in 13 games, and it has been shut out once in its last five.

Chicago's power play is the worst in the league

The Blackhawks are 4-for-40 with the man advantage, 32nd in the NHL. That's the bottom of the league, and no amount of scheduling luck fixes it.

Boston's penalty kill is 18th at 77.6%, so this isn't a mismatch the Bruins can ignore. But Chicago's power play simply hasn't produced.

The Bruins' own power play is 16th at 20.9%. Chicago's penalty kill sits 17th, so the special teams battle favors Boston on paper, mostly because of one side.

Swayman leads a Bruins crease that has been steady with a few cracks

Jeremy Swayman has started all 11 of his appearances and carries a .912 save percentage. Over his last five starts that number has dipped to .889, and he allowed four on 18 shots in St. Louis.

Michael DiPietro has been sharp in three starts, with a .941 save percentage and a shutout. He hasn't faced Chicago in his career, while Swayman is 4-1-0 against the Blackhawks.

For Chicago, Spencer Knight has started all eight of the team's recent games and is 4-7-0 on the year. He has a .888 save percentage in three career games against Boston.

Arvid Soderblom has made two starts, both losses, with the last coming on October 8 against the Islanders.

Boston has owned this series lately

This is game 1 of 2 between the clubs this season. The second is January 1 in Chicago.

The Bruins swept last season's series, winning 4-3 in overtime on October 9, 2025, and then 5-2 on January 17. Viktor Arvidsson scored the winner in the second one.

Boston is 4-1-0 over the last five meetings and has won two in a row.

Injuries: Chicago's blue line

According to the latest injury report, updated October 30, Ryan Ellis is listed as injured reserve with a back injury, dating to July 1.

Bowen Byram is listed as day to day with an upper-body injury since October 29. The Bruins have no one listed.

Three things to watch

The Chicago power play. At 4-for-40, the Blackhawks have found little with the extra man, so every Boston penalty is a smaller risk than it would be against most teams.

Swayman's rebound. He gave up four in St. Louis on Thursday, and Boston has lost both games since its 6-4 win over the Sharks.

Chicago on the road. The Blackhawks are 0-5-0 away from home, and they've been outscored 48 to 27 overall this season.

Boston has been good at home, 5-1-0, and it has the best record in the Atlantic. What it doesn't have is a win since October 24.

Chicago's road trip ends here, and the Bruins have the chance to head into the January 1 rematch with a win already in hand.

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